Carbonator



H. J. IRWIN CARBONATOH Filed April 2, 1925 J0 awuentoz flm zfww Patented Feb. 17, i925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARBONATOR.

' Application filed April 2, 1923.

To all whom it may] concern:

Be it. known that I, HENRY J. IRWIN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Carbonators, of which the ollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in carbonators of the class commonly used by bottlers for charging mineral waters, beverages and the like with carbonic acid gas under pressure, the liquid and gas being supplied to a carbonating tank, wherein they are agitated and intimately mixed together, and then drawn off therefrom in a substantially continuous manner.

Heretofore the pump used for supplying the liquid to the tank and the mixer or agitator have been driven inde endently of each other by a plurality of] elts leading from a countershaft and arranged to rotate the agitator continuously while the pump is operated intermittently in accordance with the amount of liquid drawn off.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a base on which the several parts of the carbonator together with the source of power may be mounted and thus overcome the danger from the moving belts and economize in the operating space required.

A further object is to simplify the construetiou of the carbonator by providing means operated by a single belt to drive both the pump and agitator independently of the other in order that the former may be operated intermittently while the latter is rotated continuously:

The invention also includes a clutch device for detachably connecting the driving means to the agitator in order that the latter may be either rotated or stopped to vary the quantity of gas applied to the liquid.

A further object includes means for operating a relief valve for removing the air which accumulates above the li uid within the tank and interferes with t e eflicient carbonation thereof.

For further comprehension of the inven- Serial No. 629,271.

tion, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference is had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various features of the invention are more particularly pointed out. I

Figure 1 of the drawings is a plan view showing an assembly of the several parts of the carbonating device as embodied in the present invention.

Figure 2 is a corresponding side elevatlon.

Figure 3, an end elevation, shown from the driving or pump end of the carbonator.

Figures 4 and 5 are respectively sectional and side views of a clutch coupling for the agitator shaft shown in enlarged detail.

Figures 6 ad 7 are respectively enlarged detail views showing plan and sideviews of an air valve and manner of operation.

In the drawings, numeral 1 designates the base or frame of the carbonator, carry ing the legs 2 on which is sup-ported the carbonating tank 3, provided with the usual valve controlled gas inlet 4: and the liquid supply pipe 5 leading from the pump 6. Also the tank is provided with flexible tubular connections 7 and 8 leading respectively from the top and bottom of the tank to the float 9 and so arranged as to permit the liquid in the tank to freely flow into the float and maintain a common level therein.

Mounted upon the tank 3 is a bracket 10 having a hub 11 provided with a pin 12 arranged to pivotally support the double armed lever 13, the upper arm thereof being fixedly connected to a cross bar 14, one end of the latter being pivotally connected to the float 9, while along the opposite end of the bar a counter weight 15 is lengthwise adjustable to effect the regulation of movement of the float. At its lower end the bracket 10 is provided with a guide plate 16 arranged to slidingly receive the lower arm of the lever 13, the terminal thereof being pivotally secured to one end-of a link rod 17 the opposite end being pivoted to an arm 18, fixed upon a rock-shaft 19 mounted in the bracket bearing 20, fixed to the upper extension 21 of the base 1. corresponding bearings 22 being formed on the base extension 21, and which together with the pulleys 27 and 28, carried by the driving fixe the carbonated liquid in the 'tank isgradubracket bearingare adapted to rotatably ally. lowered until acorresponding low level receive the driving shaft 23. in the float 9 causes the latter to" be over- For the rotation of the drivingshaft an ibalanced by the counter wei ht 15, whereelectric motor 24 is provided and secured 'upon the parts will assume the position-inupon the base extension 21, and from which dicated in Fi re 2 and the pump will be position the motor is adapted to serve as a operated unti a new supply of liquid is in- ,source of power for operating the several troduced into thetank and causes the level arts of the carbona-tor from the motorto aduall rise until the weight thereof pulley 25 through the single bolt '26 to the wt in the oat will overbalance the counter- I 0 weight and operate the lever 13, the rod 17,

shaft 23, the former pulley 27 being arm, 18, rock-shaft; 19 and cause the belt upon the shaft while the latter is oosely fork 46 to shift the'belt into the position mounted thereon by the bush 29, a sprocket md1cated In Fig. 1, in which the pump is wheel 30 being fixed to the bush and arstopped While the agitator continues its mixran ed to transmit motion through the ing operation upon the solution within the chain 31 to the larger sprocket wheel 32, tank. It will thus appear that periods of the latter being detachably coupled-to the time Wlll be required in which the pump agitator shaft 33. The agitator shaft exwill be in motion and in whichthe same tends through the tank, being mounted 1n W111 be at rest, and that these periodsvwill .the usual manner and provided with concorrespond in the-operating float lever 13,

ventional blades 34, shown in dotted lines, the lower'end of which is provided with a and adapted to intermingle or mix the liquid cam '47. v t

and gas together; Mounted adJacent the cam is a valvebody As' indicated in Fig. 1 the driving belt 48 having a foot49 arranged to be fixed .26 is positioned to transmit motion through upon one of the legs 2 which carry the gage a relatively large gear ceive the llquid to be carbonated at the inlet the loose pulley 28, sprocket 30, chain 31 and carbonator tank, The valve may be prefersprocket 32 to rotate the agitator. In this ably of the ordinary plug type, having an position the belt is free from the fast pulley -mlet at 50 and an esca e. outlet at 51, the 27 and the shaft 23 will remain inoperative. plug or rotating mem er being provided When the belt is positioned as shown in wlth an arm 52, carrying at its free end a Fig. 2, the fast pulley 27 is fully engaged roller 53 arranged to engage the cam 47, thereby and the loose pulley 28 only parthe roller bemg normall held in contact tially engaged, and in this position the belt therewlth by the co1l spring 54, one end of will operate both the agitator shaft 33 and the latter engaglng the arm 52 while the the driving shaft 23, the latter shaft-being opposlte end 1s fixed to' the body of the provided with a pinion 35 disposed to en- Valve. .In the rec1procatmg movement of 36 fix d u on the cam as-efiected by the motion of the a shaft 37, journaled 1n bearings 38, formed float arm 13, the-arm 52'will be operated to on the base extension 21. A crank-disc 39 qulckly open and close the valve by therotais fixed to the outer end of shaft 37 and is ion of the plug therein, ports in the latter provided with a crank-pin 40, carrying one being suitaby arranged to re ister with the end of a connection rod 41, the opposite end let and Inlet passa es of t e valve body, being pivotally mounted in a slide bar 42, the latter passage 50 having a tubular conmounted for movement in a boss 43, fixed nection55 leadmg from the interior upper to the base 21. A pump rod 43 is fixed portion of the tank. The valve-operating t, it upper end t th lid bar 42, and at cam 47 is shaped with a central high operits lower end the rod is connected to a pump fltlng po tion So that at opposlte ends of plunger slidable within the pump casing 6, h Stroke the valve remains closed and is the latter being provided with the usual opened 0nly dur1ng a brlef period or the outside pipe fittings and check valves to recentral portion ,of the cams movement, sufficlent only to permit the removal of the th tl t air ordinarily collecting in the upper portion of the carbonating tank above the relatively heavier carbonating gas.

'In the regular carbonating operation it is frequently required that the liquid be variportion 44 and feed it through connection 45 to the supply ,.pipe 5. As thus'geared it will be obvious that the pump will be operated during the rotation'of the driving shaft 23 and that the latter may be stopped or started by shifting the belt into ably charged with gas. For the maximum the two positions indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, charge the agitator 1s rotated continuously, the shifting movement of the belt being the blades thereof effecting a spraying aceifected by a belt fork 46, fixed to the rocktion of the liquid within the tank which shaft 19. thoroughly intermingles with the gas, this During the substantially 'continuousoperacondition being maintained during the bottion of drawing the carbonated liquid from tling process. For effecting a semi or less the tank for bottling purposes, the level of gaseous charge of the liquid, the agitator shaft 33 is stopped by the disconnection of the clutch secured to the end thereof, and under which condition the gas inlet valve 4 is adjusted to supply the amount of gas for the required degree of carbonation.

- As shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5, the driving clutch for the agitator shaft 33 comprises a flanged sleeve or bush 56 inserted within the hub of the sprocket-wheel 32 and mounted upon the end of the agitator shaft, a collar 57 being disposed upon the bush in spaced relation to its flange and held thereon by a series of set-screws 58 which pass through the collar and bush and fix the same to the shaft. Upon the bush between the flange thereof and the collar 57 is loosely provide drive-pin 59, the latter being loosely mounted in a boss 60 formed on the collar 57. The drive pin 59 is provided with a reduced portion or stem 61, the latter having a laterally projecting stop-pin 62, adapted to engage slots 63 formed in the outer end of the boss 60, the latter being correspond-- ingly bored to slidingly receive the variable diameters of the drive-pin 59 and its reduced stem 61, the variation in bore of the hub forming a shoulder adapted to engage one end of a helical spring 64, loosely mounted both within the boss and upon the stem and adapted at its opposite end to engage the shoulder formed by the drive stem and its reduced stem portion. A fingergrip 65 is fixed to the outer end of the stem 61 and by means of which the'drive-pin 59 may be operated. As shown in the sectional view Fig. 4, the drive-pin engages the perforation in the sprocket wheel 32, and when desired to disconnect the same and prevent rotation of the agitator-shaft 33, the finger grip 65 is operated to withdraw the drivepin from the wheel against the action of the spring 64 and turn the pin about its axis and allow the projecting stop pin 62 to rest upon the outer end of the boss 60, in which position the drive-pin will be held in detached relation with respect to the sprocket wheel by the tension of the spring. lVith the clutch as thus constructed it will be evident that, upon the stoppage of the machine, the agitator shaft 33 may be quickly coupled or uncoupled to its drive wheel 32 for effecting the desired degree of carbonation of the liquid within the tank.

It is to be understood that the usual mountings including the necessary gauges, safety appliances and connections are to be applied to the tank in the usual manner.

Having thus described my invention and the manner in which the several devices cooperate with one another, what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a carbonating tank, an agitator, a

mounted the sprocket-wheel 32, with a perforation to receive the pump, means including a single driving belt for ointly operating said agitator and pump, an means for shifting said belt to intercept the movement of thepuinp while the agitator continues its operation.

2. In a carbonating tank, an agitator, a pump, means including a single driving belt for ointly operating said agitator and pump, and automatic means for shifting said belt to intercept the movement of the pump while the agitator continues its operation said belt shifting means being operated by the change in level of the liquid within the tank.

3. In a carbonating tank, an agitator, a pump, means including a single driving belt for ointly operating said agitator and pump, and means for shifting said belt to start and stop said pump during the continued operat on of the agitator, said shifting means being operated by the change in level of the liquid within the tank.

4 In a carbonating tank, an agitator, a pump, oint means for operating said agitator and pump, and means for starting and stopping'said pump during the continued operat1on of the agitator, said operating means being controlled by the change in level of the liquid Within the tank.

5. In/a carbonating tank, a base therefor. an agitator for the tank, a pump carried by said base and arranged to supply liquid to the tank, a source of power carried by said base and arranged to jointly operate said agitator and pulp and means for starting and stopping sai pump during the continued operation of the agitator, said means bem controlled by the change inlevel off the liquid within the tank.

6. In a carbonating tank, an agitator. a pump, means for jointly operating said agitator and pump, means for starting and stopping said pump during the continued operation of the agitator, and means for arrestmg the movement of the agitator during the operation of the pump.

7. In a carbonating tank, an agitator, a pump, means including a single driving belt for jointly operating said agitator and pump, means for shifting said belt to intercept the movement of the pump while the agitator continues its operation, and means for interce ting the movement of the agitator while t e pump continues its operation.

8. In a carbonating tank, an agitator, a pump, a driving shaft operatively geared to said pump, a driving pulley fixed upon said shaft, a second driving pulley loosely mounted on said driving shaft and operatively geared to said agitator, the face of the latter or second pulley being wider than that of the first mentioned pulley, a driving belt adapted to engage the two pulleys and having a width corresponding with that of the wider faced pulley, means for shifting the belt to fully engage the wide face pallet to be driven from said power shaft, and a 10 to arrest the rotation of said drivin sha t clutch disposed to detachably connect the and pump and efiect the rotation of t 1e agidriving arrangement of said agitator while tator, and means for shifting said belt to the liquid supply means remains connected 5 en age both of said pulleys for the rotation to said power shaft. v I

of 0th the agitator and the pump. Si ed at New York, in the county of 9. In a carbonatmg tank means mclud- New ork and State of New York, this 31st ing a power shaft for supplying liquid day of March, A. D. 1923. thereto, an agitator for the liquld arranged v v HENRY JOSEPH IRWIN.

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